With the new year approaching I know it's been on all of our minds, how can we make a fresh start and really make 2017 a better year. One of the most prominent things I noticed that was a stressor to me in 2016 was social media. Social media was created for very good reasons if you ask me, to keep in touch with family or friends you don't get to see often, to let everyone know how you are doing and to stay updated on other people's lives. However, our generation has twisted social media into something thats ruining the way friendships and relationships works. In high school I didn't realize it as much because me and my friends didn't really revolve our lives around social media. We definitely used it and let it get the best of us but since coming to college I've realized some people truly are obsessed with social media. For awhile I let myself get caught up in it all, and it took some time but I finally remember why I hate social media so much. Anyone is free to disagree with anything I say, and trust me I am just as guilty of all of these things as the next guy, but here's a few reasons why I think social media is ruining our generation.
1) #RelationshipsGoals
We've all either seen or used this hashtag on twitter. Relationship goals have been so twisted in our heads to think that if a guy stalks your twitter and buys you something you favorited, he must be prince charming. Showing your girl off suddenly means posting a picture of her on instagram or snapchat saying how beautiful she is... every... single... day. Being "obsessed" with your significant other is something to aspire to have in a relationship. No. If you ask me, it's going to make me a lot happier if you randomly show up at my apartment and offer to do the dishes, than wasting money on something I could either buy for myself, or live without. Also showing your girl off, is taking her to a party where all of your friends are at, and being proud to introduce her as your girlfriend, bragging about how perfect she is on social media every day is just annoying, and if you feel the need to make everyone think you have such a perfect relationship on social media, well it's probably not that perfect. Lastly you should be "obsessed" with your goals and aspirations in life, where you want to travel the job you want, if you meet someone along the way that makes you happy and compliments your life, then go you, but if you are 19 years old talking about how obsessed you are with your boyfriend/girlfriend of one month, you need to get your priorities straight.
2) "Twitter me is da real me"
This might just be the most ridiculous tweet I have ever seen on my timeline. "Twitter you" is the person you want the world to think you are. "The real you" is the way you treat others, the way you react to situations, the decisions you make that you know no one else is going to see or find out about. You bragging about how amazing of a person you are on twitter means nothing, because odds are you're not tweeting about the times that you mess up or do other people wrong, you're tweeting about how other people have done you wrong and how innocent you are.
3) Jealousy
I genuinely believe we all have a side of us that gets jealous sometimes, but social media has exploded this side to each of us. Suddenly we're getting mad if our friends go out and do one thing without including us, because they posted a snapchat story. It's logical to get mad because the guy you are dating is favoriting another girls tweets. If someone tweets something but doesn't text you back, how dare they? Am I the only one that when I sit back and read those I'm laughing because of how ridiculous it is. If your friends are just going to get McDonalds for fifteen minutes and didn't think to invite you, it's probably not because they hate you. If your boyfriend is favoriting another girls tweets, its probably cause he thinks it's funny. If someone doesn't text you back, it's probably cause you texted them "yeah" and there isn't much to respond to "yeah."
4) Subtweeting
Okay now if you have a twitter you know that at some point in your life you are guilty of subtweeting. Wether it was yesterday or five years ago, you've done it. However lets think about this. What are we actually accomplishing by angrily subtweeting somebody? Nothing besides showing everyone your a coward cause you can't just saying something to someones face, and letting the whole world in on YOUR business. If you and your significant other are fighting, keep that between you. If you and your best friend are annoyed with each other keep that between you. That's not anyones business to know about but the people involved in the situation, all you are doing by subtweeting is opening up a direct line for people to judge you, and then you'll get mad when they do.
5) Selfies
Now don't get me wrong, the occasionally selfie can be cute. I definitely love being that girl who comments on other girls selfies saying "yes girl you gorgeous!!" because I know it can make a girls day, however if your posting a selfie every day, odds are you're using those likes to gain confidence, which shouldn't be needed. You are gorgeous but you don't need the whole worlds approval to know you are gorgeous. No one looks like what they make themselves out to look like on social media anyways, so if you wanna know what I look like, hit me up lets go get panda, but other than that I don't think anyone (girl or guy) should need the approval of anyone to know that they are damn fine.
